The villages near Siem Reap stand on stilts for half the year. Kompong Luong never touches the ground. It is a floating town of several thousand people on the southern shore of Tonle Sap Lake, with floating shops, a floating market, a pagoda, a church, schools, a petrol station and fish farms, all of it towed to a new position as the lake rises and falls. It is the most complete floating community in Cambodia, and it is a full day from Siem Reap.
- Where
- Southern shore, Pursat province
- Getting there
- About 2.5 h by road on NR5, then boat
- Best months
- November – February
- Day length
- 10–11 hours, or one-way
- People
- Several thousand, Khmer and Vietnamese
- Our day
- Private only, from $165
What you see
A boat tour of the town takes an hour or two: past the market boats, the floating pagoda and the Catholic church, the school where children arrive by canoe, the mechanics and the ice sellers, and out to the fish farms where the catch is raised in cages under the houses. The Khmer and Vietnamese communities live side by side with their own temples and their own ways of building. It is a working town, not an attraction, and the people in it are used to a few visitors a day rather than a few hundred.
What the day looks like
An early pickup, two and a half hours on National Road 5 through Battambang-bound countryside, the boat tour of the town, lunch on the water, and the drive back in the afternoon. Many guests do it one-way: we drop you in Phnom Penh or Battambang instead of returning to Siem Reap, which turns a transfer day into the best day of the trip.
What it costs
Private only. The car and driver are included; the boat is charged per person; lunch and a sunset on the water are optional. Build the day below and the price updates as you choose.
Prices on this page are placeholders until the rules sheet is filled in.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kompong Luong?
On the southern shore of Tonle Sap Lake near Krakor in Pursat province, about 150 km from Siem Reap by National Road 5. It is a full day from Siem Reap and a common stop between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh or Battambang.
Is it really floating?
Yes. Unlike the stilt villages near Siem Reap, Kompong Luong is a town on the water: houses, shops, a market, a pagoda, a church, schools and workshops all float and are moved as the lake rises and falls, several kilometres a year.
When is the best time to visit?
November to February, when the water is high, the town sits close to the road and the weather is cool. In the dry season the town moves out onto the lake and the boat ride to reach it is longer.
Can I combine it with a transfer?
Yes. A Kompong Luong day works well as a one-way journey, with drop-off in Phnom Penh or Battambang instead of back in Siem Reap. Ask us on WhatsApp.